South Sudan President Salva Kiir frees two political prisoners

South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir said on Wednesday an imprisoned South African adviser to rebel leader Riek Machar and a rebel group spokesman would be released as part of the September 12 peace deal.

James Gatdet former rebel group spokesman was arrested in 2017 after his deportation from Nairobi for alleged subversive activities against the Juba administration.

Willaim Endley, a retired South African army colonel was sentenced by a court in the capital city of Juba to jail following a peace deal gone wrong in 2016. He was reported the adviser of rebel leader Riek Machar, the former deputy president of South Sudan.

This announcement comes on the heels of the return of Riek Machar to the capital Juba on Wednesday, more than two years after he fled the country. He and President Salva Kiir signed a new peace deal in the latest attempt to end the five-year civil war